


Flock

by AntarcticBird



Series: Nightbird!verse [4]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-17
Updated: 2014-05-17
Packaged: 2018-01-25 12:09:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1648139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntarcticBird/pseuds/AntarcticBird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When it comes down to it, you never really know how it ends, do you?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flock

**Author's Note:**

> [werunthings](http://werunthings.tumblr.com/) prompted meeting the parents. So here’s Kurt, meeting Blaine’s family (or a part of it) for the first time.
> 
> Many thanks to [Pace](mailroomorder.tumblr.com) for reading this over for me on very short notice.

“Don't worry,” Blaine tells him, reaching for his hand as Kurt stops walking in the middle of the drive way, feeling nervous enough to fly away even if that's usually more Blaine's department. “They're going to love you.”

 

Kurt nods shakily. “I'm fine. Just – this is huge. For me. I've never met anyone's parents before.” He laughs. “Never had an opportunity to meet anyone's parents. I have no idea how these things go.”

 

Blaine smiles at him softly. “They're nice. I promise.”

 

“So they won't be chasing me off the premises with a shotgun?” Kurt asks, only half joking.

 

“I've never really brought anyone home before, so I really have no idea,” Blaine says. “But I doubt it, seeing as how they don't even own shotguns.”

 

Kurt feels a rush of warmth at the reminder that this is all new to Blaine too – that they're each other's firsts in every way. “Well at least if anything goes wrong, I have my very own superhero right here with me,” he says, squeezing Blaine's hand tightly.

 

Blaine laughs. “Exactly. Okay, let's go.”

 

**

 

Blaine's parents aren't superheroes as Kurt had first assumed – the gene usually skips a generation anyway and even then very few people ever have powers strong enough to be actually useful. Blaine's parents are definitely very proud of him though, Kurt can tell that much from the enthusiastic hugs right there by the front door, Blaine's mom and dad both throwing their arms around him at the same time, squishing him in between them. A little old man who Kurt assumes is Blaine's grandpa watches everything with a smile from the background.

 

“So glad you made it,” Blaine's mom says, kissing Blaine's hair.

 

“You should really come home more often, we worry about you,” Blaine's dad says.

 

“Did you get skinnier? Are you eating enough?” his mom asks.

 

“I read about that train abduction in the paper, that was good work, son,” Blaine's dad says, sounding impressed.

 

They finally step back to let Blaine go, and Blaine is smiling widely, a little embarrassed. “Good to see you too,” he says.

 

His grandpa steps forward at that moment and pulls him into a quick hug, murmuring something in his ear that Kurt can't hear but makes Blaine laugh happily. It takes Blaine's attention away from his parents though, who now turn to Kurt with friendly, curious smiles on their faces.

 

“So, you're Kurt,” Blaine's mom says.

 

“We've heard so much about you,” Blaine's dad says.

 

Kurt lets out a nervous laugh, extends a shaky hand toward Blaine's parents. “Only good things, I hope,” he says. Which is a lame thing to say, but he's nervous, okay?

 

“Oh, yes!” Blaine finally returns to his side, sliding an arm around his waist and it's just _silly_ how much better Kurt feels all of a sudden, how much this simple touch grounds him and makes him feel comfortable. “This is Kurt. My boyfriend.” There's something in the way he says it, something giddy and awed in his voice, that always makes Kurt's heart flip in his chest. They're _boyfriends_. They _love_ each other.

 

Introductions don't take long and before anything can get too awkward, they're already sitting down to dinner. Which is home-cooked and delicious and takes quite a while because Blaine's parents apparently like to talk, and they're excited about having their son's boyfriend over, and they keep telling Kurt all the childhood stories that make Blaine blush and groan next to him.

 

“He was only five,” Blaine's mom says, shaking her head as she remembers. “And I was alone with him, Alex was – where were you honey?” She directs a questioning glance at her husband.

 

“I was taking Cooper to the dentist,” he says.

 

“Right. Anyway, we had no idea before, and Cooper had never shown any signs so we thought Blainey might not either, just because my mom had been the Black Cat it didn't mean any of my boys would ever have to develop powers. But then that day I am taking a nap after lunch and I wake up because I hear him crying. And I run to his room, because it was real crying, you know, he sounded so panicked, and I open his door and there he is, hovering a foot above his bed and unable to get back down. He didn't know what was happening and he looked so miserable.”

 

Blaine lowers his head, clearly embarrassed, and Kurt takes his hand, threads their fingers together, shifts closer to him in his chair. The thought of a five-year old scared little Blaine hurts his heart and he can't take his eyes off of him. “Oh sweetheart,” he says. “That must have been terrifying.”

 

“I don't really remember it much anymore,” Blaine mumbles, without looking up, but he squeezes Kurt's hand back.

 

“We were so worried,” Blaine's mom sighs.

 

“We'd always known it was a possibility, of course,” Blaine's dad says. “We just – weren't thrilled about the idea of all the danger he'd be in, should he decide to make that his life.”

 

“I don't think it was ever really a choice,” Blaine throws in. “I think I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.”

 

His dad looks proud. His mom ruffles his hair. “It was still a choice, Blaine,” she says.

 

Blaine's grandpa remains quiet, but the smile on his face is fond. And a little sad.

 

Kurt lifts Blaine's hand to his lips to kiss his knuckles, because he can't not. His boyfriend is amazing and he _loves_ him. So very much.

 

The rest of the childhood stories are less superhero-themed but no less cute and soon enough Kurt finds himself laughing, holding onto Blaine's hand as Blaine tells the story of how he and Cooper had put on shows for their parents, sings a few bars of the songs they used to perform.

 

Kurt talks about himself too, tells Blaine's family about his dad and about college and his hopes to be on Broadway one day. They listen and they're interested and they're nice and Kurt decides he really likes them. This is going way better than he could ever have hoped for.

 

**

 

Blaine's parents are in the kitchen clearing away the remnants of dinner and Blaine excuses himself to answer a call from Sam who is supposed to cover Blaine's shift this weekend which was what made this trip to Ohio possible for Kurt and Blaine in the first place.

 

Kurt suddenly finds himself alone with Blaine's grandpa, who hasn't said much all night but smiles at him now. “He's such a good boy,” he says to Blaine's retreating form as he steps out into the hallway.

 

Kurt nods and smiles, not sure what to say.

 

“It's not easy, being with someone like that,” he continues, fixing Kurt with a firm look. “Blaine has told you about his grandmother, hasn't he?”

 

“Yes. Of course.” Kurt confirms. “He's very proud of her. And of what she did. I think a lot of the time, he's trying to be like her.”

 

“She would have loved Blaine, if she'd ever really gotten to know him.” Blaine's grandpa smiles wistfully. “She died when Blaine was just a baby.”

 

“I know. He told me. I'm very sorry.”

 

“It was so long ago.” He shakes his head, still looking sad.

 

Kurt is quiet – Blaine had told him the story, just a few weeks ago. About his grandmother, who had been a legend even when she was alive, and of course Kurt had heard of her, everyone knows the story of the Black Cat who let herself be taken hostage in exchange for a school bus full of children.

 

“Do you love him?” Blaine's grandpa asks.

 

Kurt lowers his eyes, a slow smile spreading across his face, he just can't help it. “Blaine? Yes. Yes, I do, he's – I do.”

 

“Good.” Blaine's grandfather sounds pleased. “The things he does every day – I'm glad if he has that. I'm glad I could give that to my Clara, I wouldn't have wanted her to be alone through all of it. She saved people.”

 

“I'll never let Blaine be alone,” Kurt promises, and means it. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

 

“But you might be the one who ends up alone one day,” Blaine's grandpa says, and Kurt looks up, a little taken aback.

 

“I – what?”

 

Blaine's grandpa sighs, lifts a thin chain that's hanging around his neck. There's a ring dangling from it, a simple gold wedding band. “Clara's ring,” he explains at Kurt's blank look. “That night she died – you know the story?”

 

Kurt gives a shaky nod, swallowing heavily. “I know. Blaine told me. But I'd heard of it before. She was – she saved all those kids. She was -”

 

“She was my wife,” he says. “She was the love of my life. She was _everything_ to me. And that night, when she saved all those children – before she gave herself up, she took off her ring and gave it to the Firebreather who was there with her that night. Told him to give me this and tell me she was sorry.” He pauses for a second, and the look in his eyes isn't bitter, not like his voice. The look in his eyes is – heartbroken. “She knew she'd die,” he says. “She knew she was never coming back, and she did it anyway. Because she had to save those children.”

 

“I'm so sorry -” Kurt breathes, but Blaine's grandpa holds up a hand to stop him.

 

“There was a time when I hated her for what she did,” he says. “Or at least, I tried to hate her. Until I found that it wasn't really her I was mad at, not at all. I was trying to forgive her for leaving me when that wasn't what she'd done at all. She'd done her job and I had always known it might end this way.”

 

“I know what Blaine does is dangerous,” Kurt says. “I know that.”

 

“All I'm saying is, it was hard. When she didn't come home, it was really hard. And there are things you think about – what was the last thing I ever said to her? Had I told her I loved her that day? Did she know just how much she meant to me when she died? Was she scared? Was she in pain? Did she know that I'd sit here, nineteen years later, and still miss her, and still love her as much as I did that night when she left our house for the last time? Did she know that?” He sighs, giving Kurt a gentle, sad smile. “I know it's all new, with you and Blaine. I know that. But people like my Clara and our Blaine, you don't just stop loving them, you know? And not because of what they do. But because they're good people. Because of their hearts and their souls. We'd love them the same without their powers. I just –“ He shakes his head, gives Kurt an embarrassed grin. “I'm talking too much. You're so young. Both of you. Maybe this is all too soon, maybe I should have saved the big talk for your wedding, I'm sorry. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. Sometimes I say things – I'm sorry.”

 

“That's okay,” Kurt assures him. He does feel a bit uncomfortable, but maybe, he thinks, he needed to hear this. “If you had known how it would end,” he asks. “Would you have married her anyway? Would you still have fallen in love with her?”

 

Blaine's grandpa laughs at that, and his voice is gentle now when he says, “I'd do it all over again, if I could. She was worth it. Every minute with her – it was worth it.”

 

Kurt nods. “I know,” he whispers.

 

“Maybe you and Blaine will have a happier ending,” Blaine's grandpa says. “I want that for you.”

 

Kurt blushes at the mention of his future with Blaine – they haven't even been dating that long, he's only known about Blaine's true identity for a few months, but … he already can't imagine not being with him anymore. “I want that too.”

 

“Want what?” Blaine asks, walking back into the living room, standing next to the couch with a curious expression on his face.

 

Blaine's grandpa heaves himself from his chair, chuckling. “You don't need to know everything. I was just talking to your Kurt here. Who is very nice by the way, I like him.”

 

“Thanks, I like him too,” Blaine responds, looking a bit confused.

 

“Anyway, I'm going to get a bit of air, I'll be back in time for coffee,” Blaine's grandpa announces, walking from the living room and towards the door to the backyard.

 

“What was that about?” Blaine asks, turning to Kurt.

 

Instead of a response, Kurt gets up as well, walks the few steps to where Blaine is still standing and wraps him up in a tight hug. “I love you,” he says. Suddenly, it seems important that Blaine knows this, that Kurt reminds him of it as often as he can. “You know that, right? I love you so much.”

 

Blaine hugs him back, holds on tight. “Did my grandpa say anything to you? He's not quite – _there_ anymore all of the time, I'm sorry if he -”

 

“Your grandfather is awesome,” Kurt says. “He was really nice.” He pulls back enough to be able to look into Blaine's eyes. “I just wanted to tell you. That I love you. And that you're so important to me. Is that okay?”

 

“Kurt.” Blaine's face breaks into a wide smile and he leans in to press a quick kiss to his lips. “That's always okay. You know I love you too.”

 

“I know,” Kurt says. “Yes, I know.” And when Blaine leans in for another kiss, short and relatively chaste because they're still in his parents' living room, but still so full of emotion, he kisses him back, feels it all the way down to his toes how sure he is of this.

 

So maybe they haven't been together that long and maybe he should freak out a little about Blaine's grandfather sort of implying that this is a forever kind of thing. But honestly, he thinks he wouldn't mind if it were. Because he thinks Blaine's grandfather was right. You don't just stop loving someone like Blaine.

 

And when it comes down to it, you never really know how it ends, do you? He's lived in this world long enough to know that there are no guarantees. He's also old enough to know what he wants. So their situation might be a little – extreme. But he's not going to walk away from this, not ever.

 

“So, what do you think of my family?” Blaine asks with a smile when they pull apart.

 

They jump a little when it's Blaine's dad who answers from just a few feet away. “I'm sure he thinks we're very charming and excellent conversationalists and he thinks we're so nice he doesn't mind that we started defrosting the cheesecake a little too late and it's still kind of frozen in the middle?”

 

Kurt laughs, disentangling himself from Blaine but not objecting when Blaine keeps an arm around his waist. “We'll just pretend it's cheesecake ice cream.”

 

“Wonderful, yes.” Blaine's dad beams at him. “I like that. Like ice cream cake. I just completely forgot about taking it out of the freezer. I'm getting so forgetful in my old age.”

 

Blaine laughs. “How about you and mom sit down now and Kurt and I make coffee for everyone? I don't know if your brittle old bones can handle standing up that long.”

 

“Careful Blaineybear,” his mom says, poking her head into the living room. “We haven't even brought out the baby pictures yet. I've even prepared an entire album with especially embarrassing ones and I'm not afraid to use it.”

 

Blaine's eyes widen in horror. “Mom, no. You wouldn't!”

 

“Try me!”

 

“I take it all back,” Blaine promises. “You and dad are young and strong and pretty and no one who saw you would ever believe you're even old enough to have grown up children already -”

 

Kurt lowers his head to hide his grin and leans against Blaine's side, feels the answering press of Blaine's arm around his hips.

 

He really thinks it's all going rather well.


End file.
